interviews

British
Melodic Rockers Dante Fox return with a new album hot on the heels of their
acclaimed ‘Breathless’ album. ‘Six String Revolver’ sees them revisiting their
early albums and presenting updated versions of much loved classic Fox songs.
Fireworks spoke to Sue Willetts and Tim Manford about revisiting the past.

Interview
By Woody

The
new Dante Fox album ‘Six String Revolver’ is made up of re-recorded versions of
songs from the band’s first two albums. What was the inspiration or reasoning
behind revisiting the band’s early songs?

Tim – Well those First Two albums are very close to
our hearts and songs such as Firing My Heart, Under The City Lights, Lost And
Lonely Heart still feature in our live set because they are great songs and
work in a live environment.

Sue – I thought it would be a really good idea to
re-record some of our original on the back of Breathless, Tim agreed and also
felt that the original versions are not a good representation of who we are now
in terms of our capabilities as artists and performers.

Tim - The first album was really made up of demos that
Now and Then Records wanted to release. Back then if we had our way, we would
have re-recorded the whole album and spent time on the performance and
production quality. We wanted them to be reborn into the modern Dante Fox sound
and style of Breathless and Lost Man’s Ground albums.

How
do you personally feel about how this album has turned out?

Tim – I think it’s the strongest album of songs we
have released so far and I absolutely love it and I think our fans will too. It
feels like an album of brand new songs and I feel totally refreshed and
satisfied with our work.

Sue - We feel that we have approached this in the
right way keeping with the original essence of the song. We feel that with Al
and Eric we have made improvements to the parts and arrangements where needed.

Tim - It’s all about the songs and that’s all that matters,
I have tried to stay faithful to the originals but played better (I’m a much
better player now I hope) creating a better tone and adding an extra bit of
sizzle. I have to say that I think the lead vocals on this album are absolutely
stunning and to this point it is a view that is running through every review
I’ve seen so far.

When
you approached this album did you worry how established fans may react to you
recreating some beloved classic’s?

Sue – I did have some concerns and this was around whether
we could make enough of a difference to justify the release, I absolutely think
that we have.

Tim –No not at all because these songs are our
creations and our DNA is all through them. Once we thought about choosing the
songs we knew what they would need. I think the fans will relish hearing the
songs getting our full professional treatment, as I touched on earlier we are
so much better at what we do now and with Al and Eric this was a no brainer
really.

When
you were choosing which tracks to feature on this new album did you find it
hard, given the quality throughout of both albums? And did the track list ever
fluctuate once you started working on them?

Tim – It was quite easy really. The ten songs we have
recorded are what we believe are the best songs but there are songs that HAD to
be included such as“Firing My Heart ,
Remember My Name, “Under The City Lights, Lost and Lonely Heart ” etc..

Sue - We originally included “Here I Stand” and “Don’t
Call Me” but time was a factor too because our producer Sheena Sear was going
to be a mom so mother nature decided on timescales and Sheena also had to
finish the new Magnum album. So to make it happen we had to agree and keep to all
rehearsals and recording sessions in order to finish it on time.

Tim - I think “Don’t
Call Me” would have been cool with Eric Ragno’s keyboard work and that chorus
could have been explosive. Maybe we’ll revisit that and release it as a single
sometime.

The
first thing that struck me was just how dramatically updated these songs all
are in many aspects, including new instrumentation and altered guitar parts.
Are there any songs in particular you think have benefitted the most from you
revisiting them?

Tim- Firing My Heart is even more of a stadium rocker
now. I love Eric’s Keys in the intro that reminds me of Hagar era Van Halen.
Under The City Lights is the single that never was, it has nice tight harmonies
and Sue’s commanding lead vocal is even more emotive and crisp. A Matter Of Time
has benefitted from Eric’s awesome Keys and they set the scene with solemnity and
then you just listen to that lead vocal WOW. Sue hadn’t sung this song for
Fifteen years and it just came out like she had sung it every day. I also love
Lonely with its Country guitar bends in the intro and this has a genuine 80’s
Heart vibe in the style but with an ultra- modern production.

With
all these old songs been given a modern Fox touch, does this mean we can expect
even more old songs in future Fox live shows?

Tim – I would love to play Lonely, Still Remember Love
live again so when we book more head line shows we’ll look at including these
songs too. We rehearsed A Matter Of Time recently and it sounded amazing so
that would be a favourite too.

Sue - Compiling set lists is tough because we have
such a back catalogue now. Yes I think that it is important to try and mix
things up especially if we play more live shows.

Tim – At the moment The Breathless album has to be the
main feature in our next few live shows but we also love playing songs from
Under The Seven Skies and Lost Man’s Ground.

Following
that up do you have any live shows planned you can tell us about?

Tim – Yes, we will be playing our First ever show in
Germany on 2nd December at the HEAT Festival that has a great line-up
of bands such as Hardline, Tyketto, FM, Dare etc.

Sue - We are playing HRH AOR March 2018 on the opening
night before Eclipse and Joe Lynn Turner so that should be a great night of
melodic rock.

Tim - The live set is sounding really tight and exciting
with our new drummer Scott Higham (Ex – Pendragon), with Scott on board this is
the best sounding line-up we have ever had. Wait until you hear Young Hearts and
All Eyes On You live.

The
Fox are notorious for having long gaps between albums, so when ‘Six String
Revolver’ was announced I was a little shocked! Why did you follow up
‘Breathless’ so quickly?

Sue – It was always my intention to follow Breathless with
another album in 2017. Breathless created such a lot of exposure but due to
unforeseen circumstances we have not been able to gig as we wanted this year.

Tim – We spoke to Georg at our label AOR Heaven just
after breathless was released, he thought it was a great idea and was on board
supporting us which was all we needed to make it happen.

Sue - In terms of being notorious for long gaps
between albums we are also notorious for delivering quality albums. There was a
two year 4 month wait in between our first two albums, which is acceptable
given that we were playing lots of live shows too. After the Second album The
Fire Within we ended up taking a very unplanned break due to some band
decisions that left us very low. Our original drummer wanted a break, our Bass
player moved on and they both started families so it wasn’t a break it just all
stopped.

Tim – Yes this is one thing that Sue and I regret, we
should have fought through this lull recruited new members and returned with a
new album. Anyway in between 2001 and 2004 we did nothing apart from write
songs and try and get the hunger back. We returned in 2005 to support Vixen and
play Firefest with a new line-up. Our Third album Under The Seven Skies was
released by Frontiers in 2007 but again even though the line-up was great in
the live arena, the chemistry wasn’t there to write a new album and again we
went through a difficult period. This took us from 2009 to 2010 with nothing happening
other than me learning how to use Pro Tools recording package and writing
material for Lost Man’s Ground.

Sue - Lost
Man’s Ground was delayed whilst we waited for the super busy, super talented Alessandro
Del Vecchio to do backing vocals (he was doing this as a huge favour) so hopefully
you can see that over time we have had our fair share of tough luck.

Tim- What you have to remember is we have always been
reliant on other people within our various line-ups and to be honest if the
band isn’t their priority we ultimately suffer because of it.

Sue – Band members don’t earn a living from the band in
fact it costs a lot to be in bands at our level and people have other
conflicting priorities too. People, who really know how difficult it is to be
in a band, will understand how much sheer determination we have, and our love
and passion for creating music that has driven us for so many years.

Does
this mean we should expect a longer gap before the next Fox album too?

Sue - Six String Revolver has been created through
sheer determination and there will be another album of new material recorded in
2018. This has been the plan since releasing Breathless.

Tim- We will be working on delivering a new album for
late 2018 /early 2019 for AOR Heaven and capitalising on our new killer
line-up. We want to keep it melodic and anthemic but also inject some
individual performances and energy into the arrangements.

Is There anything else you would like to add
or say about the new album?

Tim –We love
what we have created with Six String Revolver and you won’t be disappointed either
so BUY IT AND SUPPORT OUR CAUSE

West
Midlands melodic hard rockers Iconic Eye have just unleashed their second album
‘Into The Light’ and first to feature new vocalist Jane Gould. I spoke to Jane
about joining the band, the new album and the band’s evolution over a very busy
year and eventful year.

Interview
by Woody

What
was the inspiration behind applying to join Iconic Eye? did the band originally
having male vocals deter you at all? and what’s the story of how you joined the
band?

I was looking to form a melodic rock band. My last
band was a Prog band, and as much as I loved aspects of it, I wanted to move
towards melodic rock for my next venture. I had some fantastic musicians in
mind, but something was just telling me not to, to hold fire. I was doing my
usual thing of scrolling through FB to see if there were any bands wanting a
singer or if any new music took my fancy, and on a friend’s news feed Iconic
Eye came up.They needed a
guitarist.So, I thought, just have a
look and listen.LOVED what I
heard.Loved Tim’s vocals on recordings,
loved the songs. I thought that I could really work with what I had heard, and
if I could write with them, it really would be what I was looking for. Alas,
they had a singer. Fast forward a few months, I saw the advert for a vocalist
needed.I jumped straight on it! Sent
through my details and links and took it from there.Iconic Eye having a male vocalist previously
didn’t deter me at all.I knew if I got
the job, I would have to change some of the original low melodies to fit, which
was easy enough done, then once we would start to write, my range would be
catered for.

The
new album Into The Light features
some re-recorded songs, was it daunting re-recording established songs? Did
they turn out as you hoped?

I saw it as a chance to put in what I felt should be
there from the original, but with my spin.I loved doing this.There is
nothing like singing lyrics that you have written/co written, but this was a
great start. I am absolutely thrilled
with how it has turned out.Very happy
indeed.

Are
you pleased with how Into The Light
has turned out altogether?

Yes.100% it
was what I was aiming for.I totally
respect and trust our producer lady at Madhat, Coven, Sheena.So, I knew from previous experiences having
worked with her, we were in safe hands.Likewise, with my band mates.I
trust their musical abilities, we communicate clearly so we know exactly what
we are doing, no faffing, we hit the ground running.

Of
the older songs which are you favourites and why?

Ok, my favourites are “You make it” and “let it rain
down”.“you make it” has such an 80’s
vibe going.Really pacey song.To me it has everything.“let it rain down” Love the lyrics to this
one.Very much enjoy the bluesy start to
this. A really great song to sing.

And
of the new era songs which are your favourites and why?

Totally biased with this one.It has to be “Black Country Lady”.It was written about my late Nan, her
struggle with dementia, how it affected my family, and seeing how it changed
her.When she was initially diagnosed I
was about 20.My wonderful Grandad was losing
his fight to cancer, Nan was really beginning to change.It was a horrendous time in so many
ways.She would go from not knowing who
you were, to remembering that he wasn’t here anymore.Those were the hardest times.It never bothered me that she didn’t know who
I was, however, it was terribly hard on my mother and her sister.It was so slow burning best part of a
decade.Words and images even scents were
burnt into my mind from the time.Finally,
I managed to find the right words, and we created the song.

It’s
been a very eventful year in the Iconic Eye camp, mainly positive, but the sad
passing of bass player Gary Slater must have been quite traumatic. Reflecting
back how has it been for you since joining the band?

It has been a crazy year.What happened to Gary was just beyond
terrible.My thoughts are always with
his family.On a happier note, for the
last 8 years or so I live with the attitude, if the bad stuff can happen, so
can the good, it may take time, but it will happen.So, I decided to pursue the good.I now have what I was wishing for.Put huge amounts of time into positive
thoughts, and what I wanted to achieve and it is happening.The support of folks who like the band is
just incredible.I have had such a warm
reception.I am quite reclusive in many
respects, so it has forced me out of my hermit like shell, Again a
positive.Really grateful for all of the
love and support.

The
band has evolved a lot to me, not just in its songs but also its visual live
performances, does it feel like that to you?

Yes, it has.You can only genuinely bring what you have as an individual.On stage I do not play a part.I don’t have a routine.You get what you get and it is what I have.It feels natural, very positive and
good.If you love and believe in what
you do, it will translate to the audience, they will feel it and see it too.

Listening
to the lyrics to ‘These Tears Won’t Last’ I couldn’t help but wonder if it the
song is about Gary Slater?

In short no, it isn’t, I can see why some may think
that though.Robin came to me with an
idea, a typed essay about a clown, who was a comedian.His life was fantastic then a tragedy
destroyed everything.He lost all that
he loved.He found love then it was
taken away again.I say it was an essay IT was a bloody essay! so I translated
it into a song and wrote workable lyrics. Greg came up with the chorus and the
name “Those tears won’t last”.Really
great track.It seems fitting for so
many situations life can throw at you.

I
know ‘Black Country Lady’ is a very personal song to you and it has a very
potent emotional charge to it, is it a song that may be difficult to perform
live or will the emotion behind it drive your performances?

As always, I sing from the heart.It is all I can do.We have done an acoustic version which works very
well, but we will be doing the balls to the wall full on epic ballad
performance, that you hear on the album.Just have to make sure I don’t cry!

I
love the strings and orchestration of ‘Black Heart’ whose idea was this and was
it always intended or did it evolve during the recording process?

Greg Greg and Greg.Greg is our string man.We left
it to him to put down what he heard.It
works well. If I remember rightly it was always intended.

Do
you enjoy performing live? And what are your current favourites to sing live?

I live for performing live.It is what it is all about for me.I absolutely love all of the new material,
cannot wait to showcase it at The Station in Cannock 23 Feb!!

Do
you have any upcoming Iconic Eye live shows you can tell us about?

Sure do.They
all kick off next year.23rd Feb The
Station in Cannock.8th March Hard Rock
Hell AOR, Wales.16 March we go on tour
for 4 dates with Magnum, starting 16th March in Stockholm, 17th March Oslo,
18th March Gothenburg, 19th March Malmo.Then April 8th at the Annual Mayors 2018 festival at The Gifford,
Wolverhampton.Dementia Aware fest,
location to be sorted, May 27th.June
the 3rd Supporting Black Mamba at The Diamond.June 6th Supporting Black Mamba, Trillian’s Newcastle.July 13th at the Robin Bilston, Supporting
Hardline.There are more dates coming up
so stay tuned folks!

Are
there any specific live dates you are particularly excited about?

All of them, but HRH for me will be just amazing,
Magnum dates and Hardline!

The
band play a cover of Jefferson Starship’s ‘Jane’ in your live sets, whose idea
or influence was this? The band have played a few covers but I feel this one
suits the band best!

We all loved it.I have always wanted to sing it.One night, with the band members that were present when I joined, we
were on about a cover.The guys knew it
well, so we tried it and it is such a great fit.It was meant to be!

Which
bands or musicians have been the most influential on you over the years?

I am never too sure about an influence as such,
because I have never styled myself on anyone.More so a voice that I love.Danny Vaughn has always been a huge favourite of mine.I was in Rockwells in Tamworth, I was about15
or 16 and the DJ put on “Forever young”.A light went on, loved his voice since.I love Mark/Marcie Free’s voice.There are so many.Always loved
Janet Gardner’s voice.Also, earlier on
in the year we supported Lee Aaron.My
God that lady can sing!She was, as were
her band, superb!

I
know you’ve sang with bands in different rock genre’s in the past, most notably
Our Dystopia, are you working on any other projects at the moment or are you
focused on Iconic Eye?

Nope, just with IE at the moment.Opportunities present themselves as and
when.I can always talk freely about
such things with the band.You never
know what tomorrow will bring.

Is
There anything else you would like to add or say about the band and the new
album?

Just a HUGE thank you.We have put together this album under immensely tough circumstances.We have poured our heart and soul into these
recordings.Hope to see you all at a live
show soonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!

Hi Anna, following the success of your previous
band Eluveitie did you find it daunting starting from scratch with Cellar
Darling?

Anna: It was chaotic for sure. But the chaos resulted in an immense
creative drive that enabled us to write an entire album in just one year. For a
moment it seemed like we were left with nothing (which maybe sounds a tad too
dramatic), but things just fell into place naturally.

Do you feel expectations or pressure to emulate
the success of Eluveitie with Cellar Darling from fans and critics?

Anna: Not really. We’re impulsive people, driven by our gut feeling.
Emulating Eluveitie would have been unnatural and in my opinion also
unnecessary. Everything in our band developed organically and worrying about
what people think would have hindered creativity.

I find the name ‘Cellar
Darling’ intriguing is there a reason or story behind
the band’s name?

Anna: On one hand it symbolises what our music sounds
like. We want to tell stories and paint pictures with our music and the
combination of the two words is like a portal into our world, „cellar“ being
the darkness and „darling“ being the light. On the other hand it’s metaphorical
for the creativity and the ideas that were kept hidden away during the past few
years because we had no space and time to realise them. The music that is now free to see the light is
our „cellar darling“.

You play one of the most unusual and unique
instruments – the Hurdy Gurdy – Did you find it hard incorporating this
instrument into your song writing?

Anna: Not at all! It’s mostly connected to folk and medieval music, but the
amazing thing about the hurdy-gurdy is that you can do just about anything with
it and it can blend extremely well into different soundscapes.

The Hurdy Gurdy is a very unusual instrument, How
and why did you pick it up and choose to learn to play it? As a
multi-instrumentalist are there any other unique instruments you also play?

Anna: I saw it live for the first time when I was sixteen at a medieval
concert (the band that played is called „Faun“) and I immediately fell in love
with it. I convinced my parents that I absolutely have to learn this and so I
rented an instrument at a college for old music. Three months later Eluveitie
looked for a new hurdy-gurdy player and that’s how it became my main instrument, basically :)

Another instrument I play fairly well is the traverse flute, although
that’s a bit less unique I would say. Apart from that I’m rather mediocre at
the piano and bass, I use those mainly for songwriting.

Lyrically you pride yourself on being
storytellers, can you tell us about a couple of intriguing stories behind some
of the songs on ‘This Is The Sound’?

Anna: The stories, like our music, are very eclectic. They are created by
impulses that I get while hearing or writing the music. When I heard the
guitars for „Hullaballoo“ I thought of rain and this first impulse created a
story of the day when it never stopped raining and everything that was once stone turned into
sand. Metaphorical for a stoic crumbling beneath emotions. It kind of works
like a mindmap.

„Six Days“ is about the last man left on earth, holding on even though the
universe has swallowed everything he once loved. He holds on for six days during
which various entities like the sun, the moon, the devil and the gods punish
him because they want him to be gone.

A bit of a more „upbeat“ story is told by „Starcrusher“ which is about a
fat, hairy fairy that is pissed off at the world and wants everything to be
eternally dark by destroying all the stars. It’s going to take quite a while
because she can’t fly very well due to being overweight.

‘This Is The Sound’ is the first album from
Cellar Darling, from the formation of the band to the song writing to recording
has the album turned out as you originally envisioned?

Anna: That’s a good question! Honestly this past year has been so intense
and filled with creativity that I didn’t really have time to envision anything.
We just dove straight in and we like how it turned out. We’ll continue just
living in the moment and see where it takes us :)

Have you been pleased with the reactions to the
album since its release?

Anna: Yes, very pleased. I especially love that a lot of people react with
very elaborate messages. Our fans really seem to understand the music and it
means a lot to them. For me that is already all I could wish for.

On the surface, many may say your brand of
Celtic/folk blended metal may be an acquired taste, but if found the album as a
whole easily accessible and surprisingly catchy and commercial. It will
definitely appeal to a wider range of music fans, was making the songs more
accessible to a wide range of fans intentional during the song writing process?

Anna: Not really, the songwriting process was impulsive and organic. We
basically just write the music that is playing in our heads, it’s not
calculated in any way. And it’s interesting to see how people react differently
to the music as well. Some songs may very well be more commercial compared to
what we did before, but some are also more „artistic“ and complex, not
following the typical structures that we worked with before.

Do you have any plans to play live in the UK? Is
playing live important to yourself and your fellow band mates?

Anna: Yes, we’re playing in London on the 1st of November and can’t wait! Playing live is the most
important thing for us apart from writing music, basically we want to rotate
between studios and stages. Which is good and hopefully will happen because currently
we don’t even have apartments. So we’re ready world if you will have us.

Is there anything else you would like to add or
say to Fireworks readers?

New
young English AOR act Atlas are set to make waves in the scene with their debut
EP ‘World In Motion’. I chatted to band leader and Keyboardist James Thorley
about the EP, the birth of the band and AOR!

Interview
by Woody

Can
you tell us about the birth of Atlas and also the origin/ meaning behind the
name?

The initial idea for the band started last year. I had
been working on some ideas on and off throughout 2016, just rough piano chord
progressions and melodies really. I found some time last summer to really put
it all together and the result was 5 rough demos. After that I brought on board
4 other musicians (at first Howie and Chris and later Craig and John) to polish
the demos and turn them into a full band effort, the result being the 4 tracks heard
on the ‘World In Motion’ EP. In regards to the name, I wanted something that
was short and easily memorable. I’ve always liked shorter 2 syllable names;
Toto, Asia, Kansas, names that roll off the tongue easily. ‘Atlas Project’ was
the working title for the demo sessions and so ‘Atlas’ sort of stuck around
after that.

Atlas’s
musical direction, was it a conscious decision to write songs in the AOR genre
or just a natural song writing process? Given the ages of the band members this
style is surprising, I’m sure none of you were even born when this genre was at
its height – especially the ones I feel you sound akin to!

It’s true we’re not of that generation, and our social
groups are often surprised by our taste in music! I would say it was sort of an
intentional decision. The plan when the band came together was to make the
songs very melodic, with guitar/keyboard solo spots while still crafting and
giving focus to strong songs. We’ve always loved AOR music though, we’ve all
played in different bands that cover lots of genres but we’ve all still had a
mutual fondness for the AOR genre, so that seemed to be a reference point for
us.

Who
are your musical influences, I’d be particularly interested in hearing about
your Keyboard heroes?

I especially love Kevin Moore and Tony Banks. I’m also
quite fond of the piano/keyboard work Peter Gabriel uses on his solo work.

Take
us through the songs on the EP, are there any meanings or stories behind the
songs you can tell us?

Change of Heart is the opener and is a twist on the
‘love song/story’. The lyrics describe a relationship where both parties are
only carrying on for the sake of habit/fear of being alone. ‘Alexandria’ is the
second track and is a nod to Toto with the title choice. While ‘Alexandria’ may
sound like a love song it’s actually about reaching out to someone who suffers
from depression, while I’ve been fortunate enough to not suffer myself I have
seen it first hand and communication and understanding the situation can be
difficult both ways. ‘Cross the Line’ is another Toto inspired track name. It’s
a basic premise about dealing with difficult relationships. It’s also the first
track we recorded with Craig and I really think his vocals sound fantastic
here. ‘Lost in the Moment’ is the closer and has some great guitar work by
Howie and John. The lyrics deal with how people can sometimes form
life-changing decisions based on the hysteria they read online and in the
papers.

Do
you plan to perform live and if you do, is there anything you can tell us about
now?

We certainly do! Not sure about the rest of this year,
it all depends on the feedback from the EP. We’re looking at some events that
specialise in this genre for next year, so look out for that.

World
In Motion is your first dip into the music world with Atlas, what is next for
the band?

There’s a lot of material to put together that I have
and I know the rest of the guys are eager to write, there’s even a song left
off the EP that we couldn’t really finish in time. I think an album would be
the next recording decision, with much better production and budget.

Given
your obvious knowledge of AOR and its current outcast status in mainstream
music plus the young age of the band, will the bands future see a more diverse
or ‘current’ direction in future song writing in order to stay relevant?

It’s possible, but if we cared about being relevant we
wouldn’t have started a keyboard/guitar driven band! What I can say and know
for sure is that we’ll always write the music that best represents us at any
given time, and our influences (which are always changing and evolving) will
always be a key factor. We listen to so many different genres so nothing is
really off limits; it’s sort of a big melting pot full of band influences when
we get together.

Tell
us about your new EP ‘Heart Of Stone’, how the songs were written, what they
are about and the creation of the EP?

All the songs on the new EP were written on acoustic
guitar, as I do with most of my songs. Then in the studio, I transfer
everything into an electric setting. When it comes to the music, I usually just
noodle away on the guitar until something grabs my ear, it may be a riff, a
melody or a chord progression. Once I have something that sounds interesting, I
will work on it until it’s a complete piece of music or a song. I have loads of
musical ideas lying around, as I usually record any ideas that come to me, onto
my phone and then at a later date, will revisit them and see if there is
something worth pursuing or not.

Lyrics are a lot harder and can take months to come
together. On a rare magical occasion you may get something like “Fallen Angel” where
both the music and lyrics came together quickly; it was like a gift from the
Gods. That song took about 15 minutes to write!

With the title track “Heart Of Stone”, it was a
co-write between myself and a good friend of mine, Swedish musician and bass
player Peter Ljungberg, - Peter plays bass on the track too. I first sent Peter
some musical ideas. Later, he sent over some lyrics. Then from there, it was a
matter of improving and editing until the song both musically and lyrically was
right for us. It was important that any changes or revisions we made during the
songwriting process, both of us had to be 100% happy with it. And we achieved
that with the end result.

The two versions of the title track on the EP were
both mixed by legendary Swedish producer-engineer Tomas Skogsberg, who many may know from his pioneering
work with Swedish metal bands such as Entombed and also with Swedish guitar
rock bands such as Backyard Babies and The Hellacopters. Tomas also co-produced
the tracks with me. It was great working with Tomas, he knew instinctively what
I wanted in regards to my vision and the music, so I left him to his own
devices to weave his magic. He brought some great ideas to the table and worked
them into what I was after musically and sonically, and the results were
absolutely fantastic. It was such an honour and pleasure to work with him.

You
are signed to a European label but based in Australia, do you find this poses
challenges to you pushing your music to a European audience whilst living on
the other side of the world?

The music industry today is a challenge in itself! With
today’s technology, distance is never an issue. The internet has made the world
a smaller place. You don’t need to be in the same room let alone, same country
to record music with other musicians. Having a European label – in my case, RVPrecords
in Netherlands – behind you certainly helps immensely with pushing the music in
Europe. Though one can do it themselves quite easily these days, having the support
of a label is very important in being able to get the music out there, into
distribution and promoted in the best possible way. Plus, it frees the artist
up from all the business side of things, to concentrate more on the music.

Is
Europe your primary target for you or is Australia just as important to you?

Both are equally very important. The only difference
is, Europe was the first market that I found success in before Australia. That
tends to be a rite of passage with many Australian artists though. They tend to
find success overseas first before finally achieving success in their own
country. I have been touring Europe on a yearly basis since 2012.

Who
are your musical influences and does this affect your song writing?

I have a lot of musical influences as I have always
listened to a diverse range of music. Of course, everything you listen to or
experience will somehow permeate its way into your songwriting, whether it’s
conscious or not. My primary influences are in the rock and pop field. When it
comes to my instrumental guitar stuff, it’s the classic guitar players such as
Hank Marvin, Brian May and Rick Brewster – from legendary Australian band The
Angels - whose solos are always melodic and tell a story. Most of their solos
and guitar playing, you can hum it. It has melody. Speaking of Rick, he actually
plays guitar on one of the tracks on the new release called “Live To Rock”.
It’s a high-energy instrumental track that features Rick playing a blistering
guitar slide solo and some very cool riffing. Rick has also played on two of my
previous tracks as well, “No Way!” from my 2012 album ‘Creature Of Habit’ and
“Face Off” from my solo debut EP ‘Slave To The Fingers’ which came out in 2011.

As to songwriting influences, they range from Gerry Rafferty
to Bryan Adams to Chapman and Chinn, the classic songwriting duo from the 1970s
who wrote numerous hits for bands such as The Sweet, Smokie, Racey, Suzi Quatro
and many others. I always am a sucker for a good catchy tune, and I spend a lot
of time making sure my songs have a strong melody, a good rhythm, substance and
most importantly, a good hook.

I
really enjoyed the live acoustic tracks on the ‘Heart Of Stone’ EP, where were
they recorded and do you enjoy performing live acoustically?

Thank you, glad you enjoyed them. They were recorded
live in front an audience at Abbey Tavern in Camden, London during my ‘Terra
Firma European Tour’ in May of 2014. Those tracks were actually released
earlier this year on cassette! I did a special limited edition, hand numbered small
cassette run for this year’s Record Store Day back in April, as something
special for my diehard fans, and sold out of the pressing very quickly. Many
fans who bought the cassette, told me they would love for these tracks to be
available on CD and in a general format, so others could enjoy them too, so I
decided to do just that by adding them to this EP release.

I enjoy performing solo and acoustically when it comes
to the live environment. I prefer this more so than performing with a backing
band behind me. What influenced my decision to go all acoustic live happened in
2012. I played guitar for English singer-songwriter Steve Harley (of Cockney
Rebel fame) on his Australian promo tour. We did a bunch of acoustic live
sessions together for media and the like, and I really enjoyed the striped down
acoustic format. The songs breathed, spoke more intimately with the audience
and had a great energy that was totally different to a band setting. And since
I wrote all my songs on the acoustic guitar, it was a no brainer! I had done the
live band thing for many, many years, and was getting tired of it all, especially
with the inherent inner band politics and dramas, so a change was in the air.
So now, it is nice to just go out alone, singing and playing your heart out and
connecting with the audience with nothing but your voice, acoustic guitar and
songs.

Would
you write and record an album purely in an acoustic format?

Absolutely, in fact that is what I plan to do for the
next album. I already have many of the songs written and I have been performing
them live. It is also a good way to road test them in front of an audience and
gauge their responses before recording them.

You
have recorded and released a few EP’s in recent times, what next for you, a
full album?

I released an EP in 2011 and then followed this by
releasing three studio albums – ‘Creature Of Habit’ (2012), ‘Terra Firma’
(2014) and ‘Louder Than Words’ (2016) respectively – and now this new EP, so a
full album is next on the agenda for sure. I need to mention, ‘Heart Of Stone’
has an album’s worth of material, but because it has a mixture of different
stuff, from live material, new studio stuff and some previously released
material, I didn’t want it released as an album, thus why it is an EP.

Are
there any musicians you’d love to work with in the future?

That is a hard question, as there are so many great
musicians and artists out there, to pick any specific one would not be fair. Because
‘Heart Of Stone’ was such an enjoyable experience collaborating with Peter and
working with Tomas, I am definitely looking at doing further collaborations in
future. I am open to working with any musician in whatever form, whether that
is as co-songwriter or as a guitar player. In fact, any artist or musician,
reading this interview, they are welcome to contact me with any expressions of
interest.

Do
you have any upcoming live shows planned in Europe especially here in the UK?

I will be embarking on a Swedish tour in late October
in support of my new EP. It will be my first time in Sweden. Because I’ve
toured regularly in recent years in such countries as Germany, Netherlands and Austria,
I am giving those places a miss this time round on this tour to focus on some
new territories such as Sweden. I will be in the UK though before the start of
the tour, but not for any shows, only for some promo activities. I last toured
the UK in 2012 and did a bunch of shows there, had a great time, so it has been
awhile. I am hoping to get back there with some actual shows on the next tour.

Is
there anything else you would like to say or add?

Just to thank you for the interview and a big
heartfelt thank you to all my fans and supporters across the globe. And for
those that want to check out my music further, please visit my official
website: www.joematera.com I
am also very active on social media such as Facebook, so any new fans, feel
free to connect with me via Facebook. See you on the road!

‘Rock N Roll Incarnate part one’ is the second
Electus album, but for those yet to discover you, can you tell us a little
about the bands formation and its original musical aims?

I've been in many bands over the years and decided to concentrate on
acoustic shows to develop as a songwriter, by around 2010 I got the “Itch” back
to be in a touring band again, but this time on my terms, with focus &
conviction, with the aim to play around the world pure and simple Hard Rock
unvarnished, as interpreted by ELECTUS!The songs were getting great feedback on an acoustic level, so I started
recording the first 9 songs for the ELECTUS debut studio album “The Dark”. Then
the search began for the right musicians, Dan Smith on Bass Guitar was the
first on board.

You are the principal song writer and you have a
unique sound, who are your influences and what is your own personal design for
the sound of Electus?

I've always loved the 70s, 80s, 90s rock guitar sound, when we add the
second guitars of Pete Checkley, who generally goes for a crisper tone these
days, you kind of get close to the sound of ELECTUS, the song’s start with a
melody I come up with and build the song from there.I was in the school choir as a kid, however
I'm no David Coverdale, & rightly so. My influences musically are far &
wide; however, KISS is the reason I picked up the Bass Guitar originally, I'm a
lover of great music whatever the genre, currently though my turntable has the
pleasure of Opeth, Vinnie Vincent, Von Hertzen Bros, Steven Wilson, &
Monster Truck.

So, with this album been part one, does this
mean part two will be released hot on its heels and will it have a connection
to this album?

Sure, it may do, but I’m not tied to the idea, with this album I wanted
to explore my influences a little more and not be boxed into a specific genre,
it's all rock & roll from where ELECTUS is today, from our perspective and
you're all invited to come and join in the fun.

Can you tell us about a few of the songs on
‘Rock N Roll Incarnate’ any meanings or stories behind the songs you think
people will be interested in?

lyrically the songs revolve around relationships, good or bad, the first
single & video “Ticket to nowhere” aims to take control of one's life,
sometimes we can feel like we're living in Groundhog Day. Our 2nd single
“Saved” is a classic rock anthem saluting the fallen rock stars of our
generation, 2016 took a lot of great musical artists from us so I had to make
comment. “Freak out” is based around an alien orgasmatron delivered to us on
earth, unfortunately another alien who happened to be on our planet was
incognito as a human at the time, and so the humans never got to try out the
machine of pleasure. (Maybe there’s a B movie there somewhere).

Having seen Electus live a couple of time I know
how well your songs come across live, when you’re writing and evolving songs is
this a factor you push for?

Most definitely, I’ve always liked a good riff, to stomp to, along with
a melody that plays on your mind. our songs have a classic formula verse,
chorus, guitar break etc. The addition of a visual element, to give an added
perspective helps the whole live experience, were fortunate people leave our
shows with something to talk about and hopefully feel like they were
entertained.

I know you’ve got a show lined up at The Robin
in Bilston on the 5th July, but do you have any other shows in the
works you can tell us about?

We are currently working on a UK tour in the summer and we are going to
be touring with a few bands as part of something very special, touching base in
Wales, Scotland, England, North & South, plus Winterfest 2017 in Coventry,
Dementia Aware festival at the Roadhouse in Birmingham April 30th, where we
will be doing an acoustic set. Plus, we will be doing a couple of dates in the
USA & Europe. the dates should be confirmed by the time everybody reads
this interview, so I would definitely check out our web page for details.

What does the future hold for Electus?

we have a couple of promo videos to complete, for “Ticket to Nowhere”,
“Saved” & “Slip Away”, as well as the touring, while we promote ELECTUS
across the world, we will also be prepping for our 3rd album for a late 2017
early 2018 release, so more music, more touring as far & wide as possible,
stick it up the flagpole and see who salutes it as they say.

As an underground band working hard to break out
are there any bands in the underground scene you feel we should keep an ear out
for?

there are so many, I make a point of checking out bands from all over
whenever possible, all genres, as for bands we've had the honour of playing alongside
check out - Tyrannosaurus Nebulus, Ghost of Machines, Edenfalls, Novacrow,
Splintered Halo, Daxx & Roxane to name a few.

Is there anything else you would like to add or
say to Fireworks readers?

Thank YOU for listening, & your support, the fans are
everything, so if you still like your music with a “Back to basics” kinda feel,
checkout R&R Incarnate Part One, then come and see us live, there’s a hook
or two for most lovers of this beautiful genre of music we all know and love.

Italian’s
The Dark Side Of Venus have recently released a new and impressive album
entitled Power
To Victims. I
caught up with principal song writer and composer Licia Missori to talk about
it.

Hey
Licia, can you tell us a bit of history about how The Dark Side Of Venus was
formed and what your musical aims were with the band?

Back in 2009, I had already recorded three
solo albums as a pianist composer and written hundreds of unpublished songs,
but I had never had anything that I could call “my band”. I started feeling the
urge to write rock songs and play them on stage. One year later, the band was
ready to start this adventure. Making music for this project is an amazing kind
of therapy, it sort of heals my mind.

How
did you decide upon ‘The Dark Side Of Venus’ as the band’s name, is there a
story behind it?

I would say that the story behind it is
the story of my life. When I was younger, people around me used to think that I
had a peaceful, “normal” life, that I had no problems at all, just because I
was an introvert and I couldn’t really express my feelings. I appeared to be a quiet,
talented and good looking girl. Everything looked fine from the outside. The
truth was that my life was a mess, and I went through some serious trouble.
Music allowed me to express my darkest emotions, despite my life appearing
shiny, perfect and beautiful to everyone else. So, the name of the project refers
to the hidden side of a planet whose name is anciently associated with beauty,
love and femininity.

You
are the bands principal song writer and composer what is your song writing
process like?

It’s mostly unconscious: songs write
themselves. I listen to the musical ideas flowing in my mind, then I shape
them, I play and sing them, I record them and – if I still like them after some
time has passed – I send them to the rest of the band.

When
It comes to your lyrics what inspires them?

Most of the times, they’re inspired by my own
life and emotions, so they can be very straight and sincere. I’m very
interested in nonconformity, subversion of injustice, freedom of expression,
self-empowerment. I find myself empathizing with minorities, outcasts and
weirdos; my lyrics are often permeated with a yearning for liberation, and this
is why the band’s debut album is called “Power to Victims”.

The
Dark Side Of Venus have a very distinct sound what and who are you’re
influences? And when it comes to creating songs is anything off limits?

The hardest part of introducing my music
to others is answering the question “What does your music sound like?”. When I
compose I never try to sound like anyone else, so it seems to me that my songs
don’t resemble anything else. That said, my music has a lot of influences from
different genres, because I’ve listened to a lot of different stuff throughout
the years: mainly alternative rock, pop and classical, but also dance, jazz,
punk, gothic, new wave, celtic and electronic music. Moreover, my bandmates
have totally different musical backgrounds and tastes (e.g. fusion, funk,
progressive, metal), and this is amazing because they can add something special
and unexpected to the songs. So... actually, nothing is off limits.

Given
the structure and flow of your songs it feels like you come from a classical
trained back ground? How did you get into music and more importantly into
creating your own music?

You’re right, I’ve been studying classical
music for more than 20 years; but I’ve also been composing my own music since I
was a child. My parents had given a small keyboard to my brother, but he wasn’t
interested in playing music so when I turned 3 they gave it to me and I
spontaneously started playing it. I compose music because I need to, I have to.
It’s not even a choice, it’s just the way I am.

The
album as a whole has a very Avant Garde vibe was this always your intention or
just how your songs come together naturally as a writer?

First of all, thank you so much for
noticing this. When I write songs for this project, I keep only the most
original and fresh ideas and throw away anything that sounds too “ordinary” to
me. I’m interested in creating something modern and new.

Can
you tell us about a few of the songs on your latest album ‘Power To Victims’
and stories or meanings behind them that you think would interest listeners?

My
favourite “story” is the one behind “Heal me”. Two years ago, I was diagnosed
with a chronic pain disorder called fibromyalgia, that would deeply affect my
everyday life and my relationships. I was very depressed. But in the same
period, Elayne joined the band: she became our singer and also a new reason for
me to love my life. Even though she couldn’t heal my body from fibromyalgia,
she would heal my soul from hopelessness (“save me from myself”). I wrote “Heal
me” for her and, when we play it live, somehow, we dedicate it to each other.

I
know you perform frequently in your homeland of Italy, do you have plans to
come further afield or even to the UK?

We have a special feeling for the UK,
we’ll do anything we can to come and play there. I’ll keep you informed!

What
does the future hold for The Dark Side Of Venus?

We are about to release a new video. We’re
going to open Goblin’s live show next week here in Rome. And I have already
written all the songs for the next album. This is all I know for now!

Is
there anything else you would like to add or say?

I would like to thank you Woody and anyone
who’s reading this nice interview. Please like our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/thedarksideofvenus)
so we can keep in touch! And – especially if you readers are British – spread
the word so we can have an audience when we come to play in the UK!

Hit N Run hit the burgeoning melodic
rock scene in the early ‘90’s but also fell afoul of the onset of grunge so
their debut album never got released at the time! Fast forward to 2016 and
their debut album finally hit’s the shelves and I thought now was the right
time to quiz Jareth Grealish and Eric Montoya about the bands past and future!

Hey guys, I suppose the obvious
question is how come the album has been released now so many years after it was
written?

Jareth: No quick way to answer this one.
There are a lot of reasons it’s taken this long. For starters, the band
originally broke up in 1995 without ever landing a record deal. So at the time
we split up we had a demo, another 5-song EP that we had released on cassette
independently, and some “lost tracks” that we never completed in the studio.

After the break-up, we kind of all went our separate ways
and pursued things predominantly outside of music for a decade or more. We did
stay in touch though, and actually got together for a jam/writing session
around 2003. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to keep that momentum going and
never got the band back off the ground.

Eric: Then, in 2009 we launched a MySpace
page with some of our songs loaded in the music player and several small record
labels approached us about putting out an album. It really got us motivated, so
we went back into the studio and finished up those “lost tracks,” which became
“King of the Fools,” “Piece of the Action,” and “Wild and Crazy Days.” With a
little remixing and remastering of our other recordings, we had the 9 tracks
that became our debut album.

Jareth: After the recordings were finally
finished, there were some other delays due to disagreements within the ranks
and negotiations with different labels that stalled things for a few more
years. Eventually, it all worked out, and we released the album digitally in
2015 and then signed with Lions Pride Music out of Denmark in 2016 for the
physical CD release in Europe.

Hit N Run were part of a burgeoning
melodic rock scene in the early 90’s, what was that like?

Jareth: There was such an excitement to
everything when we first hit the scene. It truly seemed like “making it” was
possible. Philly bands like Britney Fox, Heaven’s Edge and Tangier had gotten
signed. You had Trixter, Tyketto, and Skid Row from New Jersey…and we operated
very close to those music scenes.

Eric: There was also a growing original
music scene in our home town, Scranton PA at the time, which was awesome to see
take shape in a scene typically dominated by cover bands.

When the music industry changed
dramatically and Grunge and Alt Rock became king how did this affect Hit N Run?
And what was it like been a melodic rock band at that time?

Jareth: It was incredibly disorienting for
us because it happened so rapidly. In ‘91, when Eric came aboard as our lead
singer, melodic hard rock was utterly dominant. Warrant was huge. Skid Row was
huge. Slaughter was about to release their second album. We thought we were
going to ride that wave to rock stardom. Yeah, we were aware of the Seattle
bands, but we really didn’t think they had anything to do with us. Their scene,
their genre seemed so different from what we were doing.

Eric: Yeah, by 1992, we knew something
was changing. The only hard rock songs getting airplay were power ballads.
MTV’s Headbangers Ball had become overrun by thrash bands and “alternative”
bands like Sound Garden and Alice-In-Chains. The winds of change were upon us.

Jareth: I think maybe the worst part of it
was that it had suddenly become cool to ridicule “hair bands.” At least in the
US it did. It was like a switch got flipped and suddenly the millions of people
that had been fans were now poking fun at bands like us, even though 6 months
earlier they were rocking out to Warrant’s Cherry Pie.

Eric: It was pretty discouraging, but we
kept going. Even into ’93-’94, we were still doing really well in our home club
scene in Pennsylvania.

Did you adapt the band’s sound in
order to stay relevant like many other bands did at the time?

Jareth: For a long time we resisted, but
late in ‘94, after a brief hiatus. We regrouped without Mark, our second
guitarist, and started writing new music. Thinking back, I feel like we had
become very uncertain of ourselves because of all the changes in the music
scene. We tried being heavier, bluesier, adding in more “unplugged” elements,
but nothing seemed to really click for us. I think we were just working against
ourselves—not being true to the music we loved creating and doing what came naturally.
It just wore us down, and we eventually called it a day sometime in early ‘95.

When the band split in 1995 did any
of you carry on in music? Anything we should check out?

Eric: I’ve done some voiceover work for
some radio commercials and I’ve done a lot of session work with other artists,
including Grammy award winner Christopher Cross and guitarist B. Christopher.
(http://www.bchristopherband.com) I also recorded a solo album in the mid-
2000's that was a departure from my hard rock roots. In my opinion, the project
went south. A bit of Google sleuthing and you may eventually come across it,
that’s all I’ll say about it (laughs).

Jareth: I’ve had a few false starts here
and there over the years, but nothing that resulted in any new recordings. However,
I have been actively involved in guiding my daughter Bren’s developing music
career. She’s an amazingly talented singer/songwriter. My brother Beckett, our
drummer, has a new project in the works that’s in a heavier vein than HitnRun.
Mark released a brilliant Christmas album several years ago, “The Sutorka
Clause,” that’s available on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sutorka-clause-this-christmas/id482693648). Be sure to check that out. Dan
isn’t active in music, but runs a successful lawncare company and has a
wonderful family.

Reflecting on the album, which songs
do you feel most proud of and why?

Eric: I love “King of the Fools.” It
really depicts the journey of bluesy rock and hook-oriented song writing that
this band has always embraced. I just think it all came together in that tune.

Jareth: I’m a big fan of “Piece of the
Action.” I love the main riff and I think the song truly captures how dynamic
we can be within the context of one tune. I’ll also always have a place in my
heart for “Forever.” Even though we wrote it before Eric was in the band, his
performance on that tune really took it to another level.

With the band reforming with the two
of you (Eric Montoya – vocals, and Jareth Grealish – guitar) being the only
original members in this line-up, is there a possibility that live shows could
happen?

Jareth: That is definitely part of the
plan. Our goal is to recruit new members before we go back into the studio, and
we definitely want to perform live again as well. We’re hoping to land some
choice opening slots in our area, maybe get on the bill at some rock festivals.
We would love to one day get over to Europe to tour a bit.

I know you are working on a brand
new album together. Can you tell us anything about it? What can fans expect
style wise?

Jareth: The new songs are still taking shape,
but I can assure you that it’s going to rock, and it’s very much going to sound
like HitnRun. Eric’s voice, my approach to guitar, and our songwriting together
were integral to the band’s sound back then. Fortunately, that creative
partnership is still very much intact and evident in the new music. I think
you’ll hear some more maturity in the lyrics, a bit more experimentation in the
arrangements, and perhaps some unexpected influences shining through here and
there. But we will remain true to what we created together back in 1991.

Eric: From my standpoint, I think I have
become a stronger vocalist. Time and experience will do that. We have both been
through so much since the first album that some tunes will be a bit heavier,
without losing our first album’s roots. Subject matter will, of course, reflect
our lives and the world around us.

Is there anything else you would
like to add or say to readers and fans?

Jareth: I just want to thank each and every
person that has given our music a chance and supported us by purchasing the
album and streaming it. It really stirred something in Eric and I—to realize
that there are people all over the world that truly love this type of music and
were willing to take a chance on this unknown band from Pennsylvania. Please
continue to spread the word about HitnRun and follow us on Facebook and
Spotify, so we can keep you informed about our progress on the new record and
whatever else we have developing.

Eric: HitnRun listeners worldwide have
proven to me that this is in fact a strange, strange world. Doors once closed
can indeed be opened again. If you believe in what you’re doing, people will
always respond...though sometimes not in the timeframe that you had hoped. I
can’t thank our fans enough for proving to me that rock truly is forever. And
that we weren’t wasting our time all those years ago.

Phil
Vincent’s D’ercole have just released their fourth album No Place Like Home so I thought now was the perfect time
to catch up with him.As
a prolific song writer I was keen to ask him about his processes and influences
as well asking about his various bands and upcoming projects. Oh and Paul Sabu!

You
are one of the most prolific song writers I know, you must be constantly
writing? Do you ever suffer with writer’s block or fell burnt out?

Thankfully no. My constant drive to try and make this
my sole profession keeps me very productive. I know people would dig this music
if they had the chance to hear it so my “campaign to be heard” is motivation
enough.

What’s
the song writing process for you, how do your songs come together?

Different songs have different processes. “Talk to Me”
from the new D’Ercole CD was written on the guitar, “The Walls are Closing
In(On Me)” was writing on the keys. It constantly varies. And sometimes the
words come first, as in “Stand Up” or the music is written first, like “Epic
Failure”.

What
are your song writing inspirations and influences both lyrically and musically?

The Beatles and Paul McCartney cover both music and
lyric inspiration. I know the probability of this is zero, but I would love to
write and record an album with Sir Paul McCartney. He was such an inspiration
to me growing up as I listened to him play all the instruments on his solo
albums. That’s why I do the same on mine. Sir Paul is the reason I exist
musically. He’s in my DNA.In addition
to that, I listen to so much music and have so many Cd’s and albums that it’s
safe to say I am very drawn to great song writing. Foreigner, Boston, Queen,
Winger, Dokken, Priest, Sabbath, all have a place in my mental musical file
folder.

Off
the top of your head from your extensive back catalogue what songs are you most
proud of and why?

The Cranston album I did with Paul Sabu was VERY
special for me. I have all his albums and to be able to work with someone as
talented as him was just such a gift. I’m very proud of the first 5 Legion
albums. After that, there were legal issues that put a cloud over our output.
The last two albums were released without my permission. I had released all
those songs as Phil Vincent & Vince O’Regan as “Unreleased”, “Unreleased
II”, “Unreleased III”, and “Melody & Madness”. Vince and I wrote those
songs and they are published by Songs of Purley. Z Records violated copyright
law by releasing them as Legion. NO ONE should be able to do that without
compensating the people who created the music in the first place. And so the
legal battle begins.

I
was really impressed with Cranston, an album you worked closely with AOR legend
Paul Sabu on. How did you hook up with Sabu and what was it like working with
him?

Thank you Paul. Much appreciated. Well, one of the few
good things to come out of my association with that label was some of the great
friendships I made. Paul and I met in 2012 in England and we immediately hit it
off. We planned to work together from that point and because of our busy schedules
the Cranston CD took a while to finish. I learned so much from Paul on the
recording and production side of things. I just wish more people would listen
to the album because it really contains some of my best song writing and
vocals.

Is
Cranston a one-off project or will there be more in the future?

Paul and I have 4 new songs that we will work on as
soon as we can coordinate all the logistics. I never wanted it to be a one off.
So to answer your question, there will be a Cranston II, it’s just not definitive
as to what content it will include. Paul is a very busy producer and he’s
working on the new Danny Veras album at the moment.

Your
latest album is with D’ercole, can you talk to us about a couple of the songs
on it, are there any stories or meanings behind the songs that would intrigue
listeners?

This album was written while I was going through the
worst time of my life and if “The Walls are Closing In(On Me)” and “Epic
Failure” doesn’t sum it all up, then I need to be more descriptive. HAHAHA!! Lyrically,
I was in a very dark place and I’ve always found writing songs was my best
therapy. Not to get too heavy but depression can make a person think of doing
things they would normally never even consider, and that’s where I was
mentally. Coincidently, I wrote “See You on the Other Side” from the Cranston
album around the same time as the D’Ercole CD so there is some darkness on that
album as well. Basically, the song was a suicide note from a dear friend of
mine and Paul happened to send the music as I was reading the note. That’s
exactly how that song came together. Very strange and spiritual.

I
know you’re probably already working hard on something new, what new
music/bands can we expect from you in 2017?

I have contributed vocals for a band called Forest
Field and the album is called “Lonely Desert”, as well as their first few
releases. Rock Company Records will have all the details/samples. I sing “King
of the World” on the TOTO Fanfields Tribute CD which has just been released and
I have just completed my next solo album called “XX”, which refers to this
being my 20th solo release. 20 years, 20 solo albums, not too shabby!!
HAHAHAHA!!! It’s a very rocking disc with a lot of guitars and a lot of vocals.
Paul Sabu plays a solo on one of the tracks. He’s an unbelievable guitarist.
That should be out in March. I don’t know if it will be self-released or if it
will be shopped around. It’s so difficult to make any profit on physical CD
sales. The digital domain has really taken over. The streaming sites are
popping up everywhere and they’re a great promotional tool so I don’t know what
form “XX” will take. D’Ercole was self-released and we’re hoping those sales
will generate the next Phil Vincent or Tragik releases, whatever they may be.

Is
there anything else you would like to add or say to readers and fans?

Black
Paisley are a new band I think many fans of melodic rock and classic rock will
really enjoy. So, I talked to main man Stefan Blomqvist about the emergence of
this intriguing new act.

Hi
Stefan, you were part of a successful covers band what inspired the move to
form Black Paisley? What’s the story behind the birth of the band?

It was more of an evolution. We (the cover band StephMetal)
had been playing together for many years and when I played some of the new
stuff I had written, during the breaks in the rehearsals, the rest of the guys
said: Listen – we should really do something with these songs, they’re great.
The formation of Black Paisley was 3/5 of Stephmetal; Myself, the bass player
Janne and our drummer Robert. We than added 2 former studio musicians (Ulf and
Robert) we knew from friends, and who had recorded several albums before, to
upgrade and to get some more experience into the project too.

Who
writes the songs for Black Paisley and what was the song writing process like
for your new album?

Most of the stuff is written by me. It usually works
out that I present an idea of a song that is 80% ready, as a simple demo on
guitar and song.Then we jam, arrange,
and finalise the song together as band. It’s an interesting process because a
song that started out as a slow ballad could turn into an up-tempo riff rocker
during the jam process.

There
is a mix of styles in your sound which really does give Black Paisley a broad
appeal. What and who were your influences during the song writing?

It’s an interesting comment – because from the
beginning the album was meant as an AOR, Classic Rock record – but I realise
listening to it myself now that it’s broader than that, touching towards both
bluesier heavier rock as on Ordinary day and also towards some modern country
rock in tunes like Easy and It Ain’t Over.

I grew up listening to bands like Whitesnake, AC/DC,
Zeppelin, Scorpions and Triumph, but more recently I listen a lot to Lynyrd
Skynyrd and Dire Straits – so I think that is the base of influencers for
myself.

Can
you talk about a few of the songs on the album, any stories or meanings behind
the songs you think would intrigue listeners?

I like to think that every listener could create their
own story when listening to a song, even if that’s a bit of a cliché 

Some of the songs are based on live happenings like
Kickin’ which I wrote about the time I lived in the UK (good old Maidenhead)
during the London riots.

The riff to Run Run Run was written trying out a small
Orange Micro Terror amplifier in a small shop, which I evidently had to
purchase then!

Will
Black Paisley be a live act and is there any plans to play in the UK?

Absolutely a live act – and hope fully in the UK too.
We have some smaller gigs planned now in Stockholm and at some local festivals.It would be great to play in the UK at some
point – we played with StephMetal there once and it was great fun.

Given
the mix of styles in your brand of melodic rock will future music diversify and
throw even more styles into the song writing process?

Could be. My band colleagues have a lot of experiences
from other genres too. My personal hope is to make the next record perhaps a
little rougher and heavier than this one, but still keep the sound and style.

Is
there anything else you’d like to add or say to readers?

Being a debuting band like we are it is always great
to get feedback both on the songs and on their listener’s favourites to also
help Black Paisley in our future direction a bit.

Our humble ambition with this album is to raise enough
on sales on Streams, CD’s and merch to fund the next record.